RAJAR: BBC Radio listening highest for three years

■Largest listening hours since 2008
■Radio 1 reaches new number one
■Record for 5 Live Sports Extra, buoyed by Test Match Special

BBC Radio has its highest listening hours for three years, according to data published by RAJAR.

The figures show that the British public listened to 586 million hours of BBC Radio every week during the measurement period (27 June – 18 September), the largest total since Quarter 1, 2008. This also means the average BBC radio listener now tunes in for nearly 17 hours per week.

Elsewhere, the new data shows Radio 1 is more popular than ever. The station reached 11.85 million people each week, its biggest audience biggest since new research methodology was introduced in January 1999.

Tim Davie, Director BBC Audio – Music, said: "It is excellent to see people listening to so many hours of BBC Radio. In particular, the record Radio 1 figures reflect both the distinctiveness of its programmes and the strength of an outstanding team.

"I'm also very pleased to see that the combined efforts of the radio industry are resulting in a clear transition of listeners into digital radio. The rise in internet listening is noteworthy and represents encouraging growth in the sector."

All BBC Radio has a weekly reach of 34.86 million, from 34.24m last year and 35.53m last quarter, and a share of 54.5%, from 54.3% last year and 54% last quarter.

Radio 1's record reach of 11.85 million is up from 11.65m last year and 11.69 last quarter, while its share of listening increased to 9.1%, from 8.5% last quarter and level with last year. The Chris Moyles Show attracted 7.16 million listeners every week – from 7.10m last year and 7.44m last quarter – and Radio 1's sister station, Radio 1Xtra, posted a weekly reach of 904, 000 - from 806,000 last year and 992,000 last quarter.

Radio 2 tipped 14 million listeners for the fourth time, registering an audience of 14.31m (13.68m last year and 13.97m last quarter) and a share of 15.9% (15.6% last year and 14.9% last quarter). The Chris Evans Breakfast Show attracted 8.86 million listeners every week, from 8.41m last year and 8.67m last quarter, giving the show its third highest ever reach.

Radio 3 has a weekly audience of 2.05 million listeners – compared to 2.15m last year and 2.17m last quarter. The network's share is 1.1%, from 1.2% last year and last quarter.

Radio 4 reached 10.56 million people each week – up on last year's 10.37m but down from last quarter's record of 10.85m – with a share of 12% (11.8% last year and 12.4% last quarter). The Today programme attracted 6.76 million listeners per week (from 6.51m last year and the previous record of 7.18m last quarter) and Radio 4 Extra maintained its popularity following its rebranding, posting a reach of 1.53 million – from 1.05m last year as Radio 7 and 1.61m last quarter.

Radio 5 Live posted a combined reach with sister station 5 Live Sports Extra of 6.43 million listeners, from 6.44m last year and 6.68m last quarter.

5 Live Sports Extra reached a record average 1.15 million listeners every week during the quarter, boosted by its Test Match Special coverage of England versus India.

Share for Radio 5 Live (including Sports Extra) is 4.6% (4.9% last year and last quarter).

Radio 6 Music attracted 1.23 million listeners per week during the period (1.20m last year and 1.27m last quarter), while the BBC Asian Network's weekly reach was 507,000 – up from 462,000 last year and 471,000 last quarter.

BBC World Service posted a UK reach of 1.50 million, from 1.32m last year, while BBC Local / Regional radio reached 9.50 million listeners per week – from 9.14m last year and 9.65m last quarter.

Weekly reach – BBC Radio Reach in thousands
----- ---Sep 10 Jun 11 Sep 11
All BBC 34,243 35,530 34,863
All BBC Network Radio 31,018 32,108 31,723
Radio 1 11,647 11,692 11,850
Radio 2 13,682 13,966 14,309
Radio 3 2,145 2,174 2,052
Radio 4 10,368 10,854 10,555
Radio 5 Live 6,295 6,542 6,237
Radio 5 Live (inc Sports Extra) 6,439 6,676 6,431
BBC Local/Regional (inc Nations) 9,144 9,645 9,499

Weekly reach – BBC Digital Radio Reach in thousands
---------------Sep 10 Jun 11 Sep 11
5 Live Sports Extra 648 797 1,150
BBC 6 Music 1,196 1,270 1,229
1Xtra 806 992 904
BBC Radio 4 Extra 1,045 1,605 1,526
BBC World Service 1,319 1,720 1,501
BBC Asian Network UK 462 471 507

Weekly share – BBC Radio

---------Sep 10 Jun 11 Sep 11
All BBC 54.3% 54.0% 54.5%
All BBC Network Radio 45.4% 45.4% 46.1%
Radio 1 9.1% 8.5% 9.1%
Radio 2 15.6% 14.9% 15.9%
Radio 3 1.2% 1.2% 1.1%
Radio 4 11.8% 12.4% 12.0%
Radio 5 Live 4.7% 4.6% 4.1%
Radio 5 Live (inc Sports Extra) 4.9% 4.9% 4.6%
BBC Local/Regional (inc Nations) 9.0% 8.6% 8.3%

(BBC Radio Publicity)

Zimbabwe hopes for free airwaves

JASON MOYO Oct 28 2011 15:41
Public hearings for potential new broadcasters are being keenly watched by Zimbabweans desperate to finally be free of decades of the state broadcaster's tedium. Although space has opened up for private newspapers since the formation of the unity government in 2009, broadcasting is still monopolised by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.

More at : http://mg.co.za/article/2011-10-28-zimbabwe-hopes-for-free-airwaves/

Changes Continue for Shortwave

by James Careless

Once the primary transmission medium for the BBC World Service, Voice of America and Radio Moscow, the shortwave radio bands — 1,800 to 30,000 kHz — are becoming less important to the foreign policy goals of many governments. At the same time, the millions of listeners who used to tune to shortwave are also abandoning the bands.

Read the "Radio World" story here :
www.rwonline.com/article/changes-continue-for-shortwave/24684

Digital radio: Signs of a tipping point?

With the completion of a full switchover to digital television now imminent, focus is likely to increase on radio and its progress in the digital world. The story of digital radio in the UK is one of slow, steady progress, and lively debate, rather then breakthrough.

More at : http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio/2011/10/digital_radio_x.html

Still up in the AIR

Gone are the days when entertainment meant Chitrahar — a medley of Bollywood songs — on the telly and an evening blockbuster every Sunday. Gone are those days when ‘fillers’ between programmes meant multi-coloured bars with a strange background score. Gone are the days when Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR)-delivered sanitised news tried to shape our views according to the wishes of the government of the day.

Read the HT story here :

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Editorials/Still-up-in-the-AIR/Article1-760764.aspx

The end of Deutsche Welle Radio: a bad decision

Couple of stories on DW from Elmar Meurer's blog ...

The end of Deutsche Welle Radio: a bad decision
http://externalradio.blogspot.com/2011/10/end-of-deutsche-welle-radio-bad.html

The story of Sines Transmitter Park
http://externalradio.blogspot.com/2011/10/story-of-sines-transmitter-park.html

Sines station will be switched off on October 29/30

Hi all

In the next October 29, 2011 DW Sines will switch off all transmitters definitely. This is the end of an era of broadcasting in short wave from Portugal. from this date, Portugal have no more "short wave voice". DW Sines was the "last short wave voice " from Portugal. This is a "night of nights" for us in Sines. To all my friends, thanks for your help during the goods of DRM tests and transmissions.

Best regards
CT4RK
__________________
73 from: CT4RK
Carlos
Sines - Portugal
Receiver TENTEC RX320 modified, R&S HEO10 active antenna, DREAM software...And...No more PLC/BPL QRM...Thanks ANACOM!
Save the Radio Spectrum! Eliminate Broadband over Power Line.

http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2360

SINES A11 SCHD (BY TIME) :

FREQ - STATION------------ - UTC -------- DAYS - LANG - PWR - AZI
12070 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0000-0100 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 275
9440 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0200-0300 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 75
6180 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0400-0500 - 1234567 - English - 250 - 150
6075 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0400-0557 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 40
6180 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0500-0530 - 1234567 - English - 250 - 150
5955 - R.NEDERLAND----- 0500-0558 - 1234567 - Dutch - 250 - 40
11830 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0530-0557 - 1234567 - Portuguese - 250 - 150
9545 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0600-0630 - 1234567 - English - 250 - 170
15650 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0600-0657 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 140
9885 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 0630-0700 - 1234567 - Hausa - 250 - 150
11850 - R.PORTUGAL INT. - 0645-0800 - .23456. - Portuguese - 250 - 55
11925 - BBC(DRM) - 0700-0800 - 1234567 - English(Digital) - 90 - 40
11995 - R.PORTUGAL INT.(DRM) - 0830-1000 - 1.....7 - Portuguese(Digital) - 90 - 45
17585 - BBC - 1200-1230 - 1234567 - French - 250 - 170
13730 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1200-1300 - 1234567 - French - 250 - 110
21840 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1200-1300 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 80
17820 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1300-1400 - 1234567 - Hausa - 250 - 150
21840 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1400-1457 - 1234567 - Amharic - 250 - 110
21630 - BBC - 1400-1500 - 1234567 - Hausa - 250 - 145
17840 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1400-1600 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 80
17745 - Sudan Radio Service - 1500-1530 - 1234567 - English/Sudanese/ - 250 - 114
17745 - Sudan Radio Service - 1530-1700 - 1234567 - Arabic/Sudanese/ - 250 - 114
17780 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1600-1700 - 1234567 - Amharic - 250 - 110
17840 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1700-1800 - 1234567 - French - 250 - 150
21780 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1700-1800 - 1234567 - French - 250 - 140
15410 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1730-1830 - 1234567 - Persian - 250 - 80
9545 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1800-1857 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 40
13780 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1800-1900 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 40
17610 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1900-1930 - 1234567 - English - 250 - 140
17610 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 1930-1957 - 1234567 - Portuguese - 250 - 140
9545 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 2000-2100 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 40
9620 - KBS WORLD RADIO - 2000-2100 - 1234567 - Arabic - 250 - 105
11865 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 2000-2100 - 1234567 - English - 250 - 160
9735 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 2100-2157 - 1234567 - English - 250 - 120
15275 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 2100-2200 - 1234567 - English - 250 - 120
11865 - DEUTSCHE WELLE - 2200-2355 - 1234567 - German - 250 - 235

‘Hello! Are you listening in?’

Imelda Dias e Tavora was a witness to two eras of Goa’s radio history, pre and post Portuguese. History will always remember Goa’s first lady Radio Jockey, the late Imelda Dias e Tavora ......

More at :
http://www.navhindtimes.in/panorama/hello-are-you-listening

Report on review of Digital radio in Australia released

Review of technologies for digital radio in regional Australia - Final report by Australian Government, Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy can be downloaded using using this link ....

http://tinyurl.com/3u98t5r

Shortwave Still Works, Part I

The other day I came across my old copy of The Complete Shortwave Listener's Handbook by Hank Bennett, long out of print, and spent a few minutes leafing through its pages. Once upon a time shortwave radio really was the information superhighway, and if you followed it, you were very much in the know on world events, a bit ahead of everyone.....

More at :
http://radioenthusiast.blogspot.com/2011/10/shortwave-still-works-part-i.html

UNICEF Announces Regional ICDB Awards and Nominees

By kcirillo
UNICEF is proud to announce the nominees for the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) Awards. The awards are given by UNICEF for outstanding commitment to the ICDB by television and radio broadcasters.

This year’s nominees come from Andorra, Bangladesh, Benin, China, India, Iran, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Togo and Uganda and represent the best work produced in 2011 for the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. The nominees each won a regional competition and now go on to compete for global honours.

The winner of the 2011 ICDB Awards will be announced by UNICEF Headquarters in New York on 5 December 2011.

The ICDB Regional Prizes for television went to ATN Bangla (Bangladesh, “Dismantling Discrimination”), C7 Sistema Jalisciense de Radio y TV (Mexico, “Rosa o Azul”), Télévision Togolaise (TVT) (Togo, “A Nous la Planete”) and Step Television (Uganda, “Cool Kids (Boys Are Girls Are).

The ICDB Regional Prizes for radio went to Ràdio SER Principat D’Andorra (“Hora L / IK+”), Office de Radiodiffusion et television du Bénin (ORTB) (“Quand les enfants prennent la parole…”), Radio Beijing Corporation (China, “We are Different, We are the Best”), All India Radio (“Joy-Live”), Salamat Radio (Iran, “My Child”), C7 Sistema Jalisciense de Radio y TV (Mexico, “La Barra Infantil”)“, National Radio (Nepal, “Saathi Sang Manka Kura,” produced by Equal Access Nepal) and Maputaland Community Radio Station (South Africa, “Boys Are Girls Are”).

The International Children’s Day of Broadcasting is a day set aside each year to celebrate children’s broadcasting and encourages young people to get involved in television and radio broadcasting. The 2011 ICDB theme, “Girls Are… Boys Are…,” and asked children to talk about children’s rights and their importance.

Regional judging took place between June and August and entries were evaluated by teams of broadcasters, radio and television experts and communications specialists. The judges looked at content, execution and year-round youth participation.

2012 Annual Radio Buyer's Guide

Subscribe to MT Express here ....
http://www.grove-ent.com/page81.html

Slovak Radio and TV Gets Temporary Authorization to Test DRM+

The Slovak government regulator TUSR has granted temporary authority to Slovak Radio and TV to test DRM+ (essentially DRM on the FM band)

More at :
http://radiomagonline.com/digital_radio/slovak_radio_and_tv_test_drm_1014/

BBC to Fund Further Expansion of DAB Across UK

London - Oct 18, 2011 - The BBC will pay for the rollout of DAB for more than 97 percent of the nation, and every town with a population greater than 5,000 in the UK will have DAB coverage indoors. This is according to the Guardian UK.

Full story at : http://radiomagonline.com/digital_radio/bbc_fund_expansion_dab_UK_1019/

AFRS India-Burma Memories Honored

US Armed Forces Radio 70th Anniversary 1941-2011
Six New Features Released India-Burma WWII

The Radio Heritage Foundation releases six new features celebrating AFRS radio stations in India and Burma during the 1940's at its global website www.radioheritage.com

2011 is the 70th anniversary of American Armed Forces Radio broadcasts, and the six new features look at AFRS radio in a part of the world that few people today know once had these temporary radio stations.

AFRS India-Burma looks at the network of 16 stations set up in what are now India, Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka to entertain and inform US forces during WWII and the campaigns to both protect India and help the Chinese war effort.

AFRS The Ledo Road visits the network of AFRS stations along the famous Ledo Road built to bring supplies by road from Northern India to China via Burma. This feature was written as the stations were closing down.

AFRS WOTO Bhamo is a contemporary look at the 'Wings Over The Orient' radio station in northern Burma, one of the stations along The Ledo Road. This is a fascinating visit inside the operations of one of the most isolated AFRS stations in the region.

AFRS VU2ZP Bangalore introduces the personnel and programs that made this local AFRS station one of the most popular in India during its short time on the air. Rare photos from the private collection of one of the original VU2ZP broadcasters bring extra meaning to the written words.

AFRS VU2ZP Signs-Off is a retrospective of the Bangalore station, including its sleepless monitoring that helped it be the first station in India to report the end of the war in Europe. Again, rare photos of staff and VU2ZP studios make this a special feature.

AFRS VU2ZS Misamari is another contemporary indepth look at the people and programs of the small AFRS station at Misamari.

These six new items are in addition to the introductory feature AFRS China-Burma-India already at www.radioheritage.com. This also covers stations in China and remains the only comprehensive listing of the stations involved.

The features have been made possible by CBI veterans and their families preserving a variety of original resources such as magazines and photos and we encourage support for their projects. We're pleased to help bring them to a broader audience.

Many other AFRS radio features at www.radioheritage.com include rare photos and personal memories and stories from the past 70 years of AFRS operations.

The Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage at its global website www.radioheritage.com.

Sponsors now get a free World Radio TV Handbook 2012 shipped worldwide for their support of this international project. You can also choose your personal favorite feature to sponsor - included in your sponsorship - for even greater public acknowledgement. Full details are at www.radioheritage.com.

Media Release
Radio Heritage Foundation
October 18 2011